How much do your thoughts affect your physical self?

I decided to get back into cycling which I haven’t been doing consistently for a couple of years. Now that my situation allows more time for me, the only obstacle was getting another bike. So I found myself a very affordable bike that I consider ‘vintage’ as it was probably manufactured in the 80’s. The fact that I had limited funds didn’t stop me from getting back on a bike. I needed something, did some research and got it.  I envisioned riding and having an experience that would allow me to clear my thoughts as I rode, but actually the opposite happened – I was flooded with them.  My thoughts just came and they were pretty good ones which is why I am taking the time to write this note.  I thought about the reality that two-thirds of US Adults are overweight in America and wondered why.  It’s either a lack of physical activity problem or an over-eating problem. The longer I rode the more I wondered why I didn’t see more cyclists or see more people running or jogging, especially on a holiday.  I want to jump on a bike and enjoy the wind on my face and the locusts howling in the trees while I burn some calories. That is exactly what I got, and it filled my soul.  I was probably one of three people on the entire trail without an iPod or some type of music player blasting as that is what I prefer. I go cycling to be closer to nature, not shut the elements of my experience out with music although I do exactly that while cleaning at home. Maybe it’s because I really enjoy cycling. Now if I was jogging, I would absolutely need music to keep one foot in front of the other because I don’t really enjoy jogging or running at all, especially when it’s 90+ degrees in the Texas heat.

 The more my thoughts ran with the miles that went by I wonder how many people have tried various types of exercise so they can find out what they really enjoy doing.  I would much rather go swimming than run on a treadmill in a gym any day.  Many people say they can’t afford a gym membership - now that I have invested in a bike I technically wouldn’t need one as there are trails all over the place I can take advantage of and it will cost me nothing except for the upkeep of the bike. The other comment might be I can’t afford a bike.  I can’t afford the bike I want, that’s for sure.  Let’s just say I had some real bike envy on the trails as road bikes worth thousands of dollars are rolling past me and the entire cost of my bike was probably the cost of just ONE of the tires on those bikes. I maybe even got a few laughs from serious riders but I don’t care – I’m doing something active and that is what matters.  I saw a man on a bike that was probably 300 lbs.; I wanted to stop and shake his hand and tell him to keep up the good work because he was at least trying to change for the better.

The other excuse could be – I hate exercise – well if you tell yourself that, then of course you do! What you think and what you believe is your truth. I didn’t always love biking; I actually used to go out and party every weekend and invest my money in the hot new jeans brand so I could look cool at the club (Ok don’t judge me, that was definitely before my children were ever born). The older I get, the more my priorities change and they are changing for the better. What you love is what you end up doing.  If you love partying and getting drunk, that’s what you will do. If you love doing what you want when you want it – that’s what you will do and ultimately it will be at the expense of others as well.  If you really want to change for the better you will make a conscious effort towards reaching that goal because then it will be a priority. I believe if everyone had a right opinion of themselves, this entire country would be walking around fit and fabulous.

 I truly believe that what you think is who you become and if everyone knew they were worth something good, that they were a positive addition to this earth no matter what other people may have told them in the past - they would want nothing more than to take care of their body, nourish it with the good foods that God gave them for a reason, reward their body with exercise so the muscles and the core can stay strong and hopefully last as long as their mind will. They would respect what they do to their body because they really do love themselves and want the best for their own body.  I also want to interject that taking care of your body is not selfish – taking care of yourself is not a bad thing. Loving yourself is not bad!  Now thinking you are better than others and condemning others because they are not “as good as you“ or treating someone different is – there is a big difference in having a good opinion of yourself vs. a selfish and inflated ego.

Staying fit doesn’t have to be hard or miserable, it just has to be consistent and you need to find something that you love to do. I love Yoga – it centers me and it keeps me sane in some cases.  It took a few classes for me to get into it but now I can’t live without it. Biking is just another outlet for me that I truly enjoy and after each class or bike ride I feel so much better about myself.  I also don’t have a mental issue with my body image, weight or stress about exercising. I am who I am, I’m not perfect, I never will be and I’m ok with that. I don’t diet – I just eat. When I miss a few yoga sessions and eat out more than I need to be, I can tell. Once I get back into my routine of yoga twice per week and add some cardio back in it’s not that hard to stay fit and eat healthy especially with chasing two kids around. I also have my share of fat and calories with what I eat but it’s all in moderation – I love myself a cheeseburger or some pizza every now and then but I don’t eat like that every day.

I guess my point is – try different things to see what you like best and JUST DO IT. You don’t have to be good or great, you just have to try.  I prefer yoga, biking and swimming – those types of exercises are a joy to me so it’s easy. If you dread every type of exercise of course you won’t want to do it.  I also love basketball, it’s just not realistic for me to play with anyone or very often so I do the other exercises I love and that are easily accessible to me. There are so many things to try, just find something and go out there and do it. If I cared what people thought of me today I never would have gotten on my dinosaur of a bike for fear of being laughed at.  The other thing I’ve noticed is the more I exercise the better foods I want to put in my mouth.  Sure I still splurge on certain foods every now and then but to me food is fuel for your body and that’s it. I don’t eat more when I’m sad, mad or stressed. I don’t look to food to comfort me – that is an entirely different issue and if you or anyone you know has habits like that, they need to find out why they look to food for comfort. That is an emotional reaction that causes a physical problem. There is no magic pill to make you thin and fabulous. Hard work pays off but the reality is that you don’t have to work that hard as long as you end up loving the work! 

At first I thought my whole point of writing this was to encourage others to try different things they enjoy to be active, but the more I think about it – it’s not just getting out there and doing it (an action) it’s also about your attitude towards that action (your thoughts). The more I learn the more I know that our thoughts shape our lives and who we are.  The sooner and faster everyone can gravitate towards a positive mind set about themselves and others, the faster this country can become a better place. It all starts within each individual because all you can do is change yourself and no one else. You are responsible for your thoughts, actions and attitude; if you want something bad enough – you will find a way to get it. Unfortunately, most of the time the things people want so badly aren’t necessarily the best things for them and that is when problems really arise. So I leave you with – What are you thinking?  

That question right there is the essence of who we are. Until you can break down your thoughts, pick out the lies and belief systems you may have formed in your childhood or within society or your environment and replace those lies about yourself, the world and others with a truth; it will be hard for anyone to just wake up one day and all of a sudden love exercising and eating well or doing the right thing – it doesn’t work that way. Improving your life is a process.  This life is progress, not perfection. The key is to be willing to change and to do the work required to get you there.  If you screw up, it’s ok. If you fall off the wagon, its ok – don’t beat yourself up. Two steps forward, one step back and then two steps forward again until you reach your goal. I am still a work in progress, but I am very thankful I have many tools that I have learned along the way to be able to navigate through this life and still have some peace and balance no matter what life may throw my way.

Trust me, I still struggle with my choices but I am improving.  The best advice I can give is - if you want what someone else has, you have to do what they did to get what they got. If you don’t have the motivation or urge to change on your own – ask someone you admire or look up to. Find an exercise buddy, go talk to someone you know or work with that is in great shape and find out what they did. We are not meant to do life alone.  As iron sharpens iron, so does one man (or woman) sharpen another. Accountability keeps you honest and consistent and can be a great start to changing your physical self, or at the very least your thought processes that may have led you to be unhappy with your physical self in the first place. There is always time to decide to change; you just have to be willing! Aside from the desire to go out and do something active to change your physical self, you also have to examine your thoughts so you can face them head on and slowly start to change them.  So aside from deciding what new exercise you are going to go out there and try, you also need to ask yourself “What AM I thinking”?